The role of Labour and energy saving technologies in child labour elimination in
crop production
Paper for the National Conference in Eliminating Child Labour in agriculture in Malawi
Aone Kumwenda (Ministry of Agriculture, Irrigation and Water Development) and Andrew M. Namakhoma ( Community Development Officer, National Smallholder
Farmers’ Association of Malawi)
Abstract
Raising awareness about child labour begins with a clear message about the
difference between child labour and acceptable work for children. Understanding the
distinction between the two is often difficult at first. Parents, guardians and families
of working children often think that working on farms from a young age is the only
way to transfer farming skills to children and prepare them to eventually take over
the management of the farms; however, they are ignorant of the harmful effect of
child labour on the physical and emotional development of children. A key message
that this paper would like to portray is that education is one of the best ways to
break the poverty cycle in families resulting in liberating children from child labour.
Table of contents
1.0 INTRODUCTION ..................................................................................................................................... 4
1.1 OBJECTIVE ................................................................................................................................................... 5
2.0 USE OF LABOUR SAVING TECHNOLOGIES AS BEST PRACTICES IN CROP PRODUCTION
ADDRESSING CHILD LABOUR MINIMISATION............................................................................................ 5
2.1 LABOUR SAVING TECHNOLOGIES AND CHILD LABOUR MINIMISATION IN CROP PRODUCTION ..................... 5
2.2 FARM MECHANISATION AND CHILD LABOUR MINIMISATION ......................................................................... 6
2.3 MOTORISED POWER- USE OF TRACTORS OR ELECTRIC POWER MACHINERY IN FARMING OPERATIONS .......... 7
2.3.1 CHITETEDZO MBAULA ‘THE PROTECTING STOVE’ ..................................................................... 8
2.3.2 Chitetedzo Mbaula—The Experience of Mulanje NASFAM .............................................................. 8
2.4 REDUCING CHILD USING CONSERVATION AGRICULTURE ............................................................. 11
3.0 RECOMMENDATIONS .............................................................................................................................. 11
4.0 CONCLUSION ............................................................................................................................................ 12
5.0 REFERENCES ............................................................................................................................................ 13
1.0 INTRODUCTION
Child labour can be described as any work for which a child is too young or which, by its
nature and or the way it is carried out, is likely to harm the health safety or morals of
children. There are several types of child labour which includes house work,
agricultural production and processing, petty trading such as selling water, groundnuts,
eggs etc, and construction related works such as making bricks. Crop production is
being mentioned to be having a greater role in having a lot of activities involving child
labour that could have an effect in mental and social development. Nonetheless, child
labour in Agriculture is very common. Seventy per cent of all children found in different
types of child labour are found in agriculture. The number of child labourers working in
agriculture is nearly ten times that of children involved in factory working such as
garment manufacturing, carpet weaving, or soccer ball stitching. The numbers of course
vary from country to country.
The main activities in crop production which are being mentioned to involve child labour
are land preparation, planting, weeding, fertilizer and other chemical application in
different types of crops. It also includes desuckering, reaping and bailing in tobacco.
1.1 Objective
The main objective of this paper is about explaining some of practices in Agriculture
production which address issues contributing to elimination of child labour. These best
practices are about activities ranging from production to storage and utilization of
different types of crops. These practices are meant also to increased productivity and
returns from agriculture through crop production. The targeted crops will include maize
and other common cereal crops, groundnuts and other famous leguminous crops,
cotton and tobacco. These crops are being targeted since they are commonly cultivated
hence they can also contribute a lot in child labour malpractices due to their labour
intensiveness and other inputs.
2.0 USE OF LABOUR SAVING TECHNOLOGIES AS BEST PRACTICES IN CROP
PRODUCTION ADDRESSING CHILD LABOUR MINIMISATION
There are many practices in crop production; storage and utilization which contribute to
the minimization and elimination of child labour. Some practices are mainly meant to
provide means on reduction of use of labour in crop production while other are those
which include activities that integrate some cultural methods in crop production namely
conservation agriculture (CA), Integrated Pest Management (IPM). In terms of storage
and utilization, there are a number of technologies which help in the reduction of
amount of labour and energy.
2.1 Labour saving Technologies and Child labour minimisation in crop
production
Labour saving technologies are those which reduce drudgery of farm operations and
reduce the number of man-days required to accomplish a specific task/production
process.These technologies makes the task easier, ensures that the task is done
quicker, accomplished the task efficiently and later on eliminates the need to carry out
certain tasks.
In crop production they are mainly applied in land preparation, manure making and
fertilizer and other chemical application, planting, weeding (including banking), pest and
disease control, harvesting, transportation of farm inputs and produce.These could
either be applied by small-scale or large scale farmers.
In this case most of the tools used are farm machinery and their equipments (tractors
and implements), or work oxen and their implements, herbicides, jab planters, and
sprayers and even aero plane especially for large scale commercial farmers / estates;
Whereas Energy saving technologies are those mechanisms used to reduce amount of
energy fuel used in the production of food for utilization. However, the choice of the
mechanism depends on the financial level of the concerned farmer which determines
level of reduction of child labour. Labour and energy saving technologies through farm
mechanization minimizes and eliminates use of labour in all farm operations as well
food storage and utilization.
The Agriculture sector under the guidance of government through the Ministry of
Agriculture Irrigation and water development is promoting farm mechanization, simple
labour and energy saving technologies to reduce or minimize child labour engagement
in crop production, storage and utilization.
2.2 Farm Mechanisation and child labour minimisation
Child labourers are at risk from a wide variety of biological, physical, chemical, dust,
machinery, ergonomic, welfare/hygiene and psychosocial hazards, and from long hours
of work and poor living conditions. Although technological change has brought about a
reduction in the physical drudgery of agricultural work in some areas, it has introduced
new risks. The risks are associated with the use of sophisticated machinery, chemicals
intensively, especially pesticides, without appropriate safety and health measures,
information and training.
Malawi has depended on small metal implements such as the panga knife, sickles,
hand hoe, axes etc for a long time. The hand hoe has been the commonly used
implement in agricultural production for a long time. Despite being cheap and that it
does not require special skills to use, this implement has a lot of shortcomings; these
include labour intensive and more man-days are required to complete a hectare of land.
Again, it is slow- it takes a long time, hours for a farmer to complete a particular
operation. Its continued use leads to creation of a hard pan that impedes water
infiltration- these results into the most dreaded soil erosion. It also requires a lot of
human effort leading to tedium and health problems including fatigue especially for the
child labourers which results in increased risk of accidents and illnesses. The problems
associated with the use of a hand hoe led to the use of alternative sources power
namely: Draught animal power- the use of work oxen and donkeys.
2.3 Motorised power- Use of tractors or electric power machinery in farming
operations
The Agriculture sector through the Ministry of Agriculture promotes such mechanisms to
reduce labour involvement in field operations. Since operating such mechanisations are
done by adults, without children involvement, they are spared from child labour.
With such promotions like farm mechanisations, the Agriculture sector is therefore
playing a direct role in minimising child labour in farm operations
.
One of the labour saving technology-use of ox-drawn implements on
the farm
2.3.1 CHITETEDZO MBAULA ‘THE PROTECTING STOVE’
Child labourers are vulnerable to the same dangers faced by adult workers; however,
children can be more strongly affected by the work hazards and risks that affect adults.
Also, because children are still growing, they have special characteristics which must be
considered when thinking of food storage and utilization hazards and risks. In most rural
communities people especially women and girl children travel long distances looking for
fuel wood for food preparation. Looking at the way girl children and women struggle to
find fuel wood for cooking, a special mud mbaula was designed which uses minimum
wood fuel and produces minimum smoke. This smoke is hazardous to health and the
respiratory system of human beings which includes airways, lungs, and respiratory
muscles. Children have deeper and more frequent breathing and thus can breathe in
more substances that are hazardous to their health.
The use of Chitetedzo Mbaula minimizes the amount of fuel wood used by at least 60%
compared to the traditional (open fire) cooking which releases more and
hazardous/toxic substances and higher rates of intake, resulting in greater exposure to
diseases (pathogen).
2.3.2 Chitetedzo Mbaula—The Experience of Mulanje NASFAM
Due to deforestation firewood is scarce and expensive these days. Women and girl
children walk longer distances for firewood collection and in some villages where there
are no forest reserves they have to buy fuel wood from local traders. Girl children
collect these fuel woods, depriving them of the chance to go to school and exposing
them to carrying heavy loads and resulting in the perpetuation of child labour at the
household level. Most households in Malawi use the traditional three stones (mafuwa)
stove which has high firewood consumption because the heat can radiate in many
directions and the cooking pot absorbs only a smaller percentage of the heat produced.
This is partially because they don’t know any alternative. But a locally made clay stove
can be helpful to reduce the firewood used on mafuwa by 60%. Instead of putting
firewood in three open spaces as the case for the mafuwa this stove require firewood in
one place. The clay stove was first introduced in Mulanje by Integrated Food Security
Programme (IFSP) and was locally named “Chitetedzo mbaula”. They selected this
name to indicate that the stove is protecting the cook from being burned, but also by
saving firewood, the stove protects their natural environment. Chitetedzo Mbaula is
efficient because:
It controls the amount of air flowing toward the wood so that the wind doesn’t steal
the heat.
It guides the flames to the centre of the pot’s base instead of beside or around the
pot – this puts all the fire’s energy right where you need it.
It holds the heat for as long as possible by insulating the walls of the stove.
Chitetedzo Mbaula in use Chitetedzo Mbaula ready for the
market
This stove is made of locally found clay, locally available tools and easy to make even
for unskilled people. The stoves are also a good income generating activity as they are
sold to other users.
Mrs. Chimenya of Mulanje NASFAM with Chitetedzo Mbaula
One NASFAM member is making money from the Chitetedzo Mbaula business. She is
Mrs. Catherine Chimenya the chairperson of Zikometso Smallholder Farmers’
Association in Mulanje. She belongs to a group of 10 women that was trained in making
Chitetedzo Mbaula by IFSP. She says that their group is able to make an average of
1000 stoves per month. They have a firing kiln that accommodates 500 stoves per firing
session. Every member of the group moulds her own stoves and just brings them
together for firing. She proudly said that she is able to make an average income of MK7,
000.00 per month from clay stoves during the farming season and about MK15, 000.00
per month when the field activities have lessened and she concentrates more on stove
making. ‘Chitetedzo Mbaula has saved my family in firewood hassles and brought some
income to the household. I would like to encourage my fellow NASFAM members to use
chitetedzo Mbaula or even make them. And as a woman who promotes gender I would
like to encourage men to join the stove making groups because as of now it is only
women who are taking part ‘concluded Mrs. Chimenya.
2.4 REDUCING CHILD USING CONSERVATION AGRICULTURE
In Malawi, human beings still remain the chief source of power. For many years until
recently, the fertility rate of the child-bearing Malawian woman has been quite high
resulting in large families and an abundance of cheap labour. With these two
developments, it has been observed that more and more children in families practicing
subsistence agriculture have been deployed to the fields to do the most labour
demanding activities such as land preparation, weeding, harvesting and sometimes
grading of the produce. Deployment of child to the fields to attend to the crop denies
them the time to be in school resulting in a high illiteracy rate.
In response to this situation, there have been efforts to take children out of the
mainstream farming system mainly through sensitization campaigns and enactment of
child protection laws. However, the success of such efforts has not been substantial,
prompting policy makers to look for alternative measures. One such measure is
conservation agriculture.
Conservation Agriculture, in its various forms, has proved to reduce the demand for
labour on the farm substantially. For example, pits, once they are dug, remain usable for
the next three to four years thereby eliminating the need to plough the land every year
as is the case with conventional ridging. Also, ground cover suppresses weeds in the
field, reducing the weeding effort markedly as all the farmer needs is to simply uproot
the few weedy plants that appear the field. To cap it all, the use of herbicides in areas
prone to heavy weed infestation has eliminated the need to commit more man-hours to
weeding.
From the foregoing, it is quite clear that if farmers adopt Conservation Agriculture, many
children will be spared from doing farm work and will have enough time to attend school
and grow into useful citizens of the country.
3.0 Recommendations
Having seen how agriculture contributes to child labour and how children suffer in the
practise, this paper proposes a number of recommendations for consideration if at all
child labour should be dealt with and become history. Among the recommendations are:
The issue of child labour should be a multi-sectoral challenge which should be
taken on board by most if not all sector of economic development. As such there
should be a lot of discussion and exchange of ideas within and among economic
sectors about preventing and addressing cases of child labour in Malawi.
In terms of prevention which is a long-term solution, systems of prevention need
to be carefully designed by both the state or non-state agencies/ actors. Again
parents and guardians must be able to see investment in school as a viable
option for their children.
Once worst forms of child labour have been identified, urgent actions for rescue
and rehabilitation must be applied. Where resistance is evident, persuasion,
through dialogue with parents, guardians, children themselves, employers or law
enforcement authorities must be applied.
Since experience has shown that the most effective approaches are community-
based, integrated solutions tailored to the specific needs of each target group,
concerned communities, families and individual must be given an opportunity in
designing their own solutions for child labour related cases.
As for protection, it is necessary to strengthen abilities to undertake a risk
assessment of potential hazardous in agriculture by various stakeholders
including farmers, parents and guardians as well as children themselves.
Both state and non-state actors should support child labour elimination
interventions and promising practises such as chitetedzo Mbaula, conservation
agriculture. etc., so that more people are aware of them and are able to use them
instead of child labour.
4.0 Conclusion
In conclusion it is evident that the problem of child labour is a multidimensional; hence a
multi-prolonged strategy will be the best to be adopted focusing on poverty alleviation,
children’s access to education, and HIV and AIDS mitigation, and, on the other hand,
strict enforcement of national legal instruments. It is clear in some cases that many
children work out of economic necessity, supplementing parents, or guardians’ income
to help meet the household’s basic needs and therefore improving livelihoods of the
poor households is crucial to maintaining the sustainable withdrawal of children from
child labour and breaking the poverty cycle. This could be done through improved food,
income and nutrition security initiatives through the agriculture sector.
5.0 References
Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations-FAO (2010); Child Labour in
Agriculture: Exercises and information for the integration of child labour prevention in
Junior Farmer Field and Life School (JFFLS)
ILO/IPEC (2005), Training Resource Pack on the Elimination of hazardous child labour
in Agriculture, book 2
Malawi Decent Work Country programme (M-DWCP 2011-2016)
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